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Assessment of Oak Woodland Resources in BLM's Eugene District

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Assessment of Oak Woodland Resources in BLM's Eugene District Assessment of Oak Woodland Resources in BLM’s Eugene District Lane County, Oregon Technical Note 406 June 2000 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management December 1999 Assessment of Oak Woodland Resources in BLM’s Eugene District Lane County, Oregon Technical Note 406 By: David G. Chiller Research Biologist, Pacific Wildlife Research Inc. David G. Vesely Senior Forest Ecologist, Pacific Wildlife Research Inc. William I. Dean Wildlife Biologist, Bureau of Land Management, Eugene District Eugene District Office 2890 Chad Drive Eugene, OR 97440-2226 June 2000 BLM/OR/WA/PL-00/052+6635 ABSTRACTABSTRACT Because of the significant loss of oak (Quercus were delineated; and the topographic features, spp.) habitat and the subsequent increased value vegetation structure, and composition of the placed on oak woodlands for wildlife habitat, the sites were characterized. Current conditions preservation and restoration of native oak wood- were then compared with conditions docu- lands has become a priority for land man- mented in historical records. In addition, the agers and conservationists in the Western wildlife species most likely occurring on the United States. In 1998, reconnaissance sur- sites were identified. Literature from oak wood- veys were conducted on 13 oak woodland sites land studies was then reviewed to determine managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s whether certain management and restoration (BLM’s) Eugene District in Lane County, methods, such as eliminating conifer encroach- Oregon. The sites were classified as either ment and thinning closed-canopy stands, would meadow-type communities or woodland-type be effective in addressing conditions observed at communities; oak patches within the sites the BLM sites. ASSESSMENT OF OAK WOODLAND RESOURCES IN BLM’S EUGENE DISTRICT i ACKNOWLEDGMENTSACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was part of a cooperative study, the development and implementation of this which involved the Oregon Department of project. We would also like to thank Rebecca Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, Goggans, Douglas Gomez, Joan Hagar, David Oregon and Washington Natural Heritage Hibbs, Matt Hunter, Paula Larson, and Mike Program, and the Bureau of Land Management Reichenbach for their valuable contributions to (BLM), to investigate oak woodland habitats. an earlier draft of this report. Finally, we thank We would like to thank John Chatt, Carole Eric Campbell and BLM’s Oregon State Office Jorgensen, Lynn Larson, Cheshire Mayrsohn, for supporting the publication and distribution and Chris Melotti for providing significant logis- of this assessment, making it more available tical support and encouragement throughout to other resource managers. ASSESSMENT OF OAK WOODLAND RESOURCES IN BLM’S EUGENE DISTRICT iii TABLETABLE OF OFCONTENTS CONTENTS Abstract . i Acknowledgments. iii Figures and Tables. vii Introduction. 1 Oak Woodlands: Past and Present . 1 Assessment Objectives. 2 Project Area. 2 Methods. 5 Site Selection. 5 Site Classification. 5 Oak Patch Delineation. 5 Site Descriptions. 6 Topography . 7 Patch Composition. 7 Additional Descriptive Information. 9 Oak Distribution Patterns . 10 Wildlife Habitat Associations. 10 Wildlife Species. 10 Habitat Components. 11 Restoration and Management Literature Review. 11 Results and Discussion . 13 Overview of BLM Sites. 13 Physiography. 13 Plant Community Composition and Structure . 13 Oak Growth and Regeneration. 18 Site Descriptions. 22 Anthony Creek . 22 Bates . 22 Cougar Mountain . 22 ASSESSMENT OF OAK WOODLAND RESOURCES IN BLM’S EUGENE DISTRICT v Eagle’s Rest. 23 Fox Hollow. 23 Gilkey Creek. 23 Kloster Mountain. 24 Rattlesnake . 24 Sears Road. 24 Seventy-Ninth. 25 Weiss Road . 25 Wendling. 25 Wills Road. 26 Oak Distribution Patterns . 26 Regional Level. 26 Patch Level . 27 Effects of Fire Suppression . 29 Wildlife Habitat Associations. 29 Species that Use Oak Woodlands. 29 Habitat Components of Oak Woodlands. 32 Restoration and Management Literature Review. 34 Conifer Encroachment. 34 Thinning of Closed-Canopy Stands. 35 Summary and Recommendations . 37 Vegetation Patterns . 37 Wildlife Habitat. 41 Mast Production . 41 Vegetation. 41 Cavities. 43 Patch Size . 43 Oak Management Recommendations by Other Authors. 44 Literature Cited. 47 Appendix A. 59 List of Wildlife Species Potentially Occurring in Habitats Found in the Surveyed Sites. 60 ASSESSMENT OF OAK WOODLAND RESOURCES IN BLM’S EUGENE DISTRICT vi FIGURESFIGURES AND AND TABLES TABLES Figures Figure 1. Map of Lane County, Oregon, showing the distribution and location of the 13 survey sites. 3 Figure 2a. Relationship between tree height and dbh for sampled oaks. 20 Figure 2b. Relationship between tree age and height for sampled oaks . 20 Figure 2c. Relationship between tree age and dbh for sampled oaks . 20 Figure 2d. Relationship between growth rate and mean crown radius for sampled oaks. 20 Figure 3. Typical spatial pattern of oaks and conifers in meadow and woodland sites . 28 Tables Table 1. List of surveyed sites, patch acronyms, and associated community types. 6 Table 2. Physical descriptors of individual patches including units and methods/instruments used . 7 Table 3. Variables and methods used to characterize canopy layers within patches. 8 Table 4. Descriptive variables for tree composition of individual canopy layers . 8 Table 5. Summary of physical characteristics of surveyed patches. 13 Table 6. Summary of the most abundant tree cohorts occurring in canopy layers in each surveyed patch. 15 Table 7. Summary of selected oak size characteristics for each surveyed patch. 16 Table 8. List of snags counts and characteristics for each surveyed patch. 17 Table 9. Percent occurrence of the most dominant shrubs in the surveyed patches. 18 Table 10. Percent occurrence of nonnative plants observed in the surveyed patches. 18 Table 11. Growth and age information for sampled oak trees. 19 Table 12. Estimates of oak regeneration abundance in the surveyed patches. 21 Table 13. Historical vegetation classifications for the surveyed sites. 39 Table 14. Classification of surveyed sites based on site characteristics, degree of conifer competition, and possible management actions. 40 Table 15. Estimated annual acorn yields for the surveyed patches. 42 ASSESSMENT OF OAK WOODLAND RESOURCES IN BLM’S EUGENE DISTRICT vii INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION tree harvesting, and urban development also have Oak Woodlands: Past led to widespread changes in Willamette Valley and Present landscapes (Towle 1982). In addition, the estab- lishment of introduced plant species within oak The preservation and restoration of native woodlands and grasslands (Habeck 1961) has oak (Quercus spp.) woodlands has recently greatly altered plant community composition. become an important priority for land man- agers and conservationists in the western Despite these changes, existing oak environ- United States. This effort has been driven by ments continue to represent important and a growing recognition of the significant loss of unique habitat for numerous wildlife species. oak habitat and the subsequent “increased In California, over 300 vertebrate species use value placed on oak woodlands within the past oak-dominated woodlands for various purpos- 20 years, for esthetics, wildlife habitat, water- es (Block et al. 1990). Oak woodlands in the shed functioning, outdoor recreation” and Willamette Valley have a greater avian species other qualities (Pillsbury et al. 1997). diversity than Douglas-fir and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) habitats (Anderson 1972) In western Oregon, oak woodlands in the and provide a higher density of cavity resources lowlands and neighboring foothills of (Gumtow-Farrior 1991). Not only do oaks pro- the Willamette Valley have been heavily vide resources for numerous species of wildlife influenced by human activity for centuries that are known to use acorns (Christisen and (Johannessen et al. 1971). Extensive annual Korschgen 1955), but the leaves and twigs of fires set by Native Americans prior to immi- oak trees and associated plants provide resources gration of settlers in the 1840’s, maintained for an undetermined number of additional ver- open oak savannas and prairies and excluded tebrate and invertebrate species (Verner 1980; tree species not adapted to frequent fire Pavlik et al. 1991; Keator 1998). Conservation, regimes (Cole 1977; Franklin and Dyrness effective management, and recognition of the 1988). Euro-Americans practiced fire suppres- value of oak woodlands will therefore be impor- sion in the Willamette Valley, which has sub- tant to maintaining this region’s wildlife diversity. sequently promoted development of closed- canopy woodlands composed of Oregon Oregon white oak, the most common oak white oak (Quercus garryana), Douglas-fir species in the Willamette Valley and surround- (Pseudotsuga menziesii), big-leaf maple (Acer ing foothills, is most competitive at xeric or macrophyllum), and other tree species “poor” sites, which are areas that are dry and (Thilenius 1968). Agricultural land practices, well-drained and areas that are droughty during ASSESSMENT OF OAK WOODLAND RESOURCES IN BLM’S EUGENE DISTRICT 1 the summer and poorly drained during the wet ❖ Review literature from studies relating season (Stein 1990). In the absence of fire, to oak woodland management and res- Oregon white oaks are normally outcom- toration studies relevant to conditions peted at mesic sites not subjected to intense observed at the study sites. drought in summer (Thilenius 1964, 1968; Stein 1990). Therefore,
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